Curtin Sarawak all set for grand Open Day on 26 September

(L-R) Mayor Lai, Professor Mienczakowski and Leong with members of the organising committee at the press conference.

Miri – 15 September 2015 – Visitors to the upcoming Open Day of Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) on 26 September 2015 can expect quite a grand event given the very positive response from the university’s student clubs, local businesses, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and sponsors to the event.

At a press conference attended by Miri mayor Lawrence Lai and Curtin Sarawak’s pro vice-chancellor and chief executive Professor Jim Mienczakowski, organising chairman Nicholas Leong, who is the university’s corporate communications manager, said the Curtin Sarawak Open Day 2015 has gained the support of close to 40 sponsors, including large corporations, local businesses, hotels, media companies, the Miri City Council and pro-chancellor of the university, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr. George Chan.

It will also see a record number of external participants, including over 20 business entities involved in insurance, food and beverage, IT, property development, hospitality, education, entertainment and telecommunications, and some 20 NGOs and the Miri City Council’s Local Agenda 21 programme that will be participating in the event’s Charity & Community Corner.

The event’s Kiddies Corner will also see the involvement of a number of local playschools, Pustaka Miri and other organisations, and some local community groups and hobby clubs such as the Miri Radio Control Club and Miri Paramotor Club are expected to support the event by staging traditional games and showcases of radio-control boats, buggies and aircraft and powered paragliders.

“We are very pleased at the very strong community support and hope that the people of Miri will give their full support by coming to the event and enjoying all the attractions,” he said, adding that close to 10,000 visitors attended the event last year.

Leong attributed the good support to growing community awareness of the event, which is now into its ninth year.

Echoing Leong’s statement, Professor Mienczakowski said Curtin Sarawak is glad to have good support from the local community and the thousands of visitors to the event each year reinforces the campus’ family and community spirit.

“The Curtin Sarawak Open Day has a very good vibe about it, with the large crowds and the participation of so many groups. It is an event I really enjoy every year,” he remarked.

Professor Mienczakowski added that for a university campus with about 4,000 students to be able to attract over 9,000 visitors to its open day is quite an achievement and says a lot about the high regard the community has for the university. He thanked all those who are giving their support to the event, particularly the Miri City Council for its continued support as the main event partner since 2010.

Mayor Lai, meanwhile, said the city council is proud to continue being the main event partner and to support activities such as the Charity & Community Corner as well as the Newspaper Bag Design & Break Competition organised by the Curtin Environmental Engineering Club.

He said the Curtin Sarawak Open Day is as much a community event as a university event and urges the local community to give its full support.

“After more than 15 years of existence, Curtin Sarawak is very much a part of Miri, and it was due to the establishment of the campus that Miri was able to become a city,” he said, stating that one of the prerequisites for Miri getting city status back in 2005 was the existence of a university.

According to Leong, the event is also getting strong support from students of the university, with over 30 student clubs registering for booths. Staff have also expressed interest to open booths, adding to the wide variety of booths featuring food and beverages from around the world, games and other activities.

The university’s student council, which is part of the event organising committee, is organising a variety of stage performances and activities, including the widely-anticipated Mr & Ms Curtin contest and a series of lucky draws offering attractive prizes like flatscreen TVs, smartphones and tablets, mountain bikes, branded wristwatches, as well as movie passes, hotel and shopping vouchers.

In addition, student academic clubs are joining staff of the Faculty of Engineering and Science, Faculty of Business and Humanities, Curtin Sarawak Graduate School and Curtin Sarawak Research Institute to organise the Innovation Expo, which will feature interesting exhibits of research projects, laboratory experiments, teaching and learning activities, community engagement projects and student development programmes.

The Curtin Sarawak Open Day is the most anticipated annual event at Curtin Sarawak. Established in 2006, it has since become an annual fixture and a key event in the university’s calendar of student recruitment and brand-building. Students of local schools interested to pursue tertiary studies at Curtin Sarawak can visit the Future Students Booth where they can consult student recruitment staff and representatives of scholarship and student loan providers for more information.

Full details of Curtin Sarawak Open Day 2015 are available at openday.curtin.edu.my. One can also visit its Facebook event page (Curtin Sarawak Open Day 2015), contact its Secretariat at 085-443806, or by email [email protected] for more details.